OXFORD in high summer. The students are away for the Long Vac, but across the ancient lanes and quads – and the parched meadows that have seen no rain for weeks – the tourist throngs are more than filling the gap. Selfies suddenly abandoned, they are sent scattering by an unexpected deluge. Some seek shelter in Harry Potter or Alice in Wonderland gift shops; others, like us, the pub.

Ahead of you the red neon glow of the diner and drive-thru, behind it the motel. Stop, to rest for the night, hum Only 24 hours from Towcester

Mollies Oxfor Exterior — **Just off the highway the welcoming glow of Mollie's Motel and Diner** Mollies

In our case, not just any old pub. The City of Dreaming Spires is not short on literary back stories, but only The Lamb and Flag flaunts its JRR Tolkien links. Over the side door you’ll find an inscription in Elvish – “Pedo mellon a minno” echoing the password from the gates of Moria in The Lord of the Rings. It means “Speak, Friend and Enter”. From a brilliant cask range our quest is for pints of Hook Norton Haymaker, ale that sounds like Hobbits once supped it in the Shires.

Ox Lamb And Flag — **Tolkien inscription over the pub door. Could be translated as 'Orcs barred'** Confidentials

Tucked into the frontage of St John’s College, this hostelry dates back to the 17th century, like its rival,The Eagle and Child (aka The Bird and Baby), across St Giles. From the 1930s to the 50s each in turn informally hosted a literary group called the Inklings. Its most prominent members were Tolkien, twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon, and CS Lewis of Chronicles of Narnia fame. Pints, pipes and works in progress that would one day sell in their millions. Not the usual lot of Oxford academics.

Both establishments were shut down by Covid, the Lamb and Flag reopening as a (less stuffy) community pub in late 2022, a much restored Eagle scheduled to return in 2027.

Ox Narnia Door — **Aslan the Lion and Tumulus the Faun – were the seeds sown here?** Confidentials

Now wend your way back past Balliol and Trinity Colleges to the Radcliffe Camera Library. Legend has it this domed Baroque pile was Tolkien’s model for Sauron’s Middle Earth temple to Morgoth. Conveniently close, along St Mary’s Passage, which leads to the High Street, is a convincing Narnia connection. A wooden front door has a lion’s face carved into it and two golden fauns bookending the lintel – inspiration for Aslan and Tumnus in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Nearby is a street lamp that could pass for the gas-lit version young Lucy encounters when she steps magically through a wardrobe into the snowy forests of Narnia.

Ox Gargoyles — **Gargoyles in Magdalen's Cloisters that CS Lewis walked past every day** Confidentials

Ox Magdalen Tower — **Magdalen Tower is one of Oxford's most beautiful landmarks** Confidentials

For more of this head east down the High to Magdalen, where Lewis was a Fellow, and in its cloisters take in the gargoyles that hardcore fans identify with the creatures turned to stone by the White Witch. Even if all this is not quite your bag Magdalen, founded in 1458, is one of the most beautiful colleges to visit. The Deer Park and circular Addisons Walk are a tranquil escape from the Oxford bustle. Mark, though, to enter you’ll have to cough up a tenner at the porter’s lodge. The equally idyllic Botanic Gardens across road costs £9. Plus Magdalen Bridge Boathouse will rent you out a punt (an hour for five people is £35).

Ox Punting — **Punting on the river is a top treat for visitors and students alike** Confidentials

Ox St Michael Tower — **The view of the city centre from St Michael's Tower** Confidentials

The Two Towers – but only one holds the Door of Death

Oxford is defined by its portals, whether sporting visitor tariffs or ‘no entry’ signs. My favourite door is to be found inside a Saxon bell tower, attached to St Michael’s church on Cornmarket. It’s £5 to climb the 97 steps. The view is not as spectacular as that of the nearby St Mary The Virgin (127 steps, £7, and opposite the Narnia house), but half way up you do encounter an amazing historical relic. Propped up is the grim door to the city’s Bocardo Prison, notorious for holding the trio of reforming Protestant clerics, Ridley, Latimer, and Cranmer put to death for heresy by Bloody Mary.

Ox Door — **The Bocardo Door recalls a grisly period in the city's history** Confidentials

The first two were burnt at the stake in 1555 on the site of today’s Martyrs’ Cross in Broad Street; one-time Archbishop of Canterbury Cranmer watched from his cell while being served a repast of wine, veal, figs and oysters. Not normal fare in an insanitary gaol whose name derives from boggard, ie privy. Cranmer tried to recant, but Queen Mary didn’t believe him and five months of incarceration later the flames consumed him also.

Ox Samurai — **The Samurai costume is one of the Ashmolean highlights** Confidentials

The key to the Bocardo, rusty and rough-edged, is on exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum, a repository of fine art and sculpture but also home to fascinating historical and ethnological permanent exhibitions. General entry is free, as for the majority of Oxford public museums. Don’t miss the astonishingly intricate suit of Samurai armour or the robes worn by Lawrence of Arabia (another Magdalen man), but the star turn has to be a small object of immense beauty and significance.

Ox Alfred Jewel — **The Alfred Jewel casts its own spell in this city of ancient magic** Confidentials

Alfred the Great, King of the Anglo-Saxons and victor over the invading Vikings, was born in 848AD 17 miles south of here in Wantage. In 1693 the ‘Alfred Jewel’ was ploughed up in a field a few miles from Athelney Abbey, his stronghold in the Somerset marshes. It bears the inscription: Aelfred Mec Heht Gewyrcan – 'Alfred ordered me to be made’ – and is a masterpiece of goldsmith's work formed around a tear-shaped slice of rock crystal. Alfred was a learned man and experts believe the dragon like head at the base of the jewel held an aestel or pointer used to follow manuscript texts.

Ox Arbequina — **Oxford Market's newest arrival brings an authentic taste of Spain** Oxford Covered Market

Time to feast – Arbequina and Pompette

Another of the city’s unmissable shows is the Covered Market. Less than 20 years ago, much of it felt on the wane, despite the presence of a trio of traditional butchers, a greengrocer’s, fishmonger’s, the Oxford Cheese Company and Cardews Coffee. Only the latter two remain, yet the Market as a whole is vibrantly resurgent. Yes, it follows a diverse street food/craft beer template but also features a cluster of classy indie shops.

Ox Lamb Flatbread — **The lamb flatbread is a stand-out dish at Arbequina** Confidentials

The newest food and drink arrival, and easily the best, is Arbequina, offering natural wine and small plates (I’d recommend the lamb flatbreads and the spicy octopus). It’s an offshoot of the inventive Cowley Road tapas pioneer of the same name (after a Catalan olive variety).

Ox Pompette — **Pompette has the feel of a Parisian bistro with a cuisine to match** Pompette

The best dining bet in Oxford, whose gourmet ambitions have never matched its intellectual heights? At the moment it has to be Pompette, in Summertown, fittingly on South Parade where half a century ago a young Raymond Blanc launched his first Quat’ Saisons restaurant. In common? The culinary accent and the look of the dining room is decidedly Gallic. Chef Pascal Wiedemann’s family hail from Alsace and he cut his teeth at Terroirs and Racine in London.

Ox Onglet — **We call it hanger steak, the French onglet it's a cut that really delivers** Confidentials

Pompette means ‘tipsy’ in the native tongue and the bistro’s Francophile wine list is a genuine invitation. We stuck to a carafe of Loire red Saumur Champigny. Beyond the seasonal menu, the Thursday night special was onglet steak and frites. A glorious char on it and gamy pink flesh sliced against the grain. Magnifique.

Benchmark lemon tart for afters, too. More than worth the three-mile bus ride from the city centre.

We were staying 12 miles out at Mollie’s Motel and Diner

You get your kicks on the A420 doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as 'Route 66', but as you slip off the blacktop that zooms west towards the Gloucestershire border that movie road trip frisson hits you. To your right is a filling station with an all-night convenience store. Ahead of you the red neon glow of diner and drive-thru, behind it the motel. Stop to rest for the night, hum: “Only 24 hours from Towcester”.

Mollies Oxford Exterior New — **The Motel with the most – a quiet haven set back from the buzz of the trunk road** Mollie's

Welcome to the original Mollie’s, a cool 1950s-inspired pit-stop designed by Soho House head honcho Nick Jones. A convenient base for the Cotswolds, the Ridgeway and Bicester Village, it works even better as a portal for doing Oxford. Just a 30 minute bus ride away, with four-an-hour daytime services and the final evening one back leaving at 23.37. If you are willing to forgo the Haymaker, a couple of Park and Rides en route can equally help you avoid an expensive overnight stay (and horrendous parking) in Oxford

Mollies Oxford Interior 2 — **A drink, a snack, a book, a board game in a welcoming space?** Mollie's

It’s a fun place in its own right. Scandi with few frills but a big ‘have a great day’ grin. Guests enter through the ‘General Store’ – a lobby, complete with an old-fashioned glass-encased counter offering, sweets, snacks and even phone chargers. The chilling area contains plants encased in concrete pots and Vitra-style shelving with books and board games. Boiling hot water taps are helpfully available in corridors on every floor – perfect for coffee bags from West Yorkshire’s own Darkwood artisan roasters.

Mollies Oxford Bedroom — **The bedrooms are simple but immaculately equipped** Confidentials

The bedrooms match fluted wooden panelling with blue-grey walls and dusty pink armchairs. For comfort the beds (Hypnos mattresses and white Egyptian cotton) punch way above motel expectations. Power showers and Cowshed wash products confound further any budget expectations. Air-con was an another plus with the heatwave hanging on in. No need for a hair-dryer then, but a Dyson model and matching hair straighteners were on hand in an alcove. All very shipshape.

Mollies Oxford Diner — **The Oxford Diner is a terrific, airy space for all-day dining** Mollie's

Mollies Oxford Table — **Ketchup and hot sauce for your New York Cheeseburger?** Mollie's

The retro all-day Diner is at its best at breakfast, as it would be Stateside. The family-friendly setting is a homage that transcends the archetype. Rows of racing-green leather booths run the length of the light-filled space. Globe-shaped lamps hang from the sloped ceiling, while silver-rimmed tables offer kitsch tomato-shaped ketchup dispensers. My secret Mollie’s pleasure? The frickles (fried, battered pickles) with mustard mayo.

Mollies Frickles — **Pass me more frickles and mayo dip please** Confidentials

I first visited the Oxford Mollie’s three summers ago, the plan to pen a preview of its imminent arrival in Manchester. Two and a half years and many hitches later it appeared, a big city version of the original template (also rolled out near Bristol) with Motel dropped from the name. It’s big city different, built on a larger, more glamorous scale with a more ambitious menu. On a recent visit I thought it a terrific addition to the up-and-coming St John’s District.

My colleague Harley Young visited Mollies Manchester in April and was hugely impressed. Read her excellent review. Not sure how she missed the frickles, though.

Not just Oxford – two amazing ancient spots within easy distance of Mollie's

You don’t get much further from our upbeat, downtown Manchester than a white horse carved into Oxford chalk uplands and the only complete set of of late medieval stained-glass windows remaining in any UK parish church.

Those 28 many-hued windows were made in the early 1500s for St Mary’s in Freshford, a charming little town. It’s a wonder how they survived the iconoclastic Reformation and beyond, but they did. Sunlight irradiates the glory of the Virgin Mary, Jesus and the Saints, but seek out too the incidental demons in all their gory!

The best images of the White Horse of Uffington are best captured from drone or plane, though there is a decent distant view from outside the village of Woolstone (where the White Horse pub is a good base camp with home-cooked food and Arkell ales). Closer up on the National Trust-run ground it is impossible to make out the carved shape. Compensation – awesome views across the Vale from the adjacent Iron Age hill fort, Uffington Castle.

Join the Ridgeway long distance footpath and walk the mile to Wayland’s Smithy, a seriously atmospheric Neolithic chambered long barrow. It was once believed to have been the home of Wayland, the Saxon god of metal working. No escaping those Saxons hereabouts.

Ox Waylands Smithy — **Wayland's Smithy in its wooded grove has a supernatural aura** Confidentials

Fact file

Mollie’s Motel and Diner, Shrivenham Road, A420, Buckland, Faringdon SN7 8PY. Standard rooms cost from around £100, breakfast extra.

Mollie’s Hotel & Diner, Old Granada TV Studios, 2 Atherton St, Manchester M3 3GS. A wider selection of room types, starting at £110, breakfast extra. Member rates can save you 15 per cent at all Mollies.

There’s also a Mollie’s Motel near Bristol and the brand’s next project is scheduled to open in 2028 – in its first Scottish location at Edinburgh Park.

• My thanks to top wine and food writer Fiona Beckett for her eating out tips and to Ed Glinert’s invaluable 111 Places in Oxford You Shouldn’t Miss (Emons, £13.99). The main image is of Magdalen College where I spent a happy three years in the days when Hobbits still trod the land.

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